Teams plead pessimism before 2010 Bahrain thriller

Niki Lauda has backed Jenson Button's hunch that Mercedes GP might be
feigning pessimism on the eve of the 2010 world championship.
After Michael Schumacher said recently that he does not expect his W01 car
to be ready to win in Bahrain,...

Niki Lauda has backed Jenson Button's hunch that Mercedes GP might be
feigning pessimism on the eve of the 2010 world championship.

After Michael Schumacher said recently that he does not expect his W01 car
to be ready to win in Bahrain, McLaren's Button admitted that "I do not
completely believe him".

Team boss Ross Brawn told F1's official website on Tuesday that "we are
not quite as well prepared as I would like to be", and Norbert Haug played
down suggestions the top four teams are all equal favourites for the title.

"I don't think it's a tie," the German told the Austrian broadcaster
Servus TV. "Red Bull are in front of us."

Red Bull team boss Christian Horner agrees: "We are in the best shape
we've ever been in."

Mercedes' caution could be the result of pressure from the parent company,
with Daimler CEO Dieter Zetsche repeating at the Geneva Motor Show this
week that the Brackley based team should deliver "all or nothing" in
2010.

Triple world champion Lauda told ORF: "The claim that Mercedes is
struggling and will not be able to drive for victory is an understatement
in my opinion."

But the German squad is not the only 2010 favourite calling for calm.

Ferrari's is regarded as arguably the car to beat this season, but the
Italian marque's president Luca di Montezemolo on Tuesday said there is
"too much enthusiasm" about the F10.

"We are not the best, we are among the best," he told Sky Sport 24 at the
Geneva Motor Show.

"Last year we finished well behind the others and we are still
recovering," insisted Montezemolo.

McLaren's Lewis Hamilton said in an interview with the Italian newspaper
La Stampa that the art of caution is widespread in F1 at present.

"I could complain as well and say little lies as they do," said the
Briton. "The truth is that there are five or six competitive teams with
similar performance, which is a situation that I have never before seen in
F1."

Ferrari's Fernando Alonso is quoted by the Spanish agency EFE as saying he
is targeting victory in Bahrain.

"I'm sure all the teams have saved a little bit in reserve. Everyone's
trying to play it down, but within a few days we will find out. It's going
to be very close," said the 28-year-old.